The cravat (Croatian: kravata) is a neckband, the forerunner of the modern tailored necktie and bow tie, originating from 16th century Croatia. From the end of the 16th century, the term "band" applied to any long-strip neckcloth that wasn't a "ruff." The ruff, a starched, pleated white linen strip, started its fashion career earlier in the 16th century as a neckcloth (readily changeable, to minimize the soiling of a doublet), as a bib, or as a napkin. A "band" could indicate either a plain, a… (More on Cravat)